Mahabharata 7.177.103 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 177, Shloka 103
स हन्यमानो नाराचैर्धाराभिरिव पर्वत: । गन्धर्वनगराकार: पुनरन्तरधीयत,जैसे पर्वतपर जलकी धाराएँ गिरती हैं, उसी प्रकार नाराचोंके प्रहारसे आहत हुआ घटोत्कच गन्धर्व-नगरके समान पुन: अदृश्य हो गया
sa hanyamāno nārācair dhārābhir iva parvataḥ | gandharvanagarākāraḥ punar antaradhīyata ||
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—പർവതത്തിന്മേൽ ജലധാരകൾ പതിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ നാരാച അമ്പുകളുടെ ധാരയാൽ പ്രഹരിക്കപ്പെട്ട ഘടോത്കചൻ ഗന്ധർവനഗരംപോലെ വീണ്ടും അദൃശ്യമാവുകയുണ്ടായി.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare can distort perception and push fighters toward extraordinary, even deceptive, tactics. It invites reflection on restraint and discernment (viveka): when violence escalates, clarity and ethical boundaries are easily obscured.
Ghaṭotkaca is being hit by volleys of nārāca arrows, yet he does not fall; instead, he becomes invisible again. Sañjaya compares this to a mountain struck by torrents and to a mirage-like Gandharva city—emphasizing both the intensity of the attack and Ghaṭotkaca’s uncanny, illusory mode of fighting.
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